Fence



(No Model.)

J. H. WHISLER.

FENGB.

Patented July 28, 1896.

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UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. WHISLER, OF YVAKARUSA, INDIANA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nc. 564,857, dated July 28, 1896.

Application inea Match 17, 1896.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN H. VHISLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at W'akarusa, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable fences, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient construction and arrangement of parts whereby the erection and removal of a fence adapted for farm purposes are facilitated, whereby a minimum quantity of material for a given strength is employed, and whereby one or more of the panels may be readily disconnected and removed to provide a gate-opening, and thus avoid the necessity, under ordinary circumstances, of swinging or other forms of gates.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will beV particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a fence constructed in accordance with my invention, a corner of the structure being illustrated and one of the panels being displaced to form a gate-opening. Fig. 2 is a detail View in perspective of a portion of the same, showing the means for connecting two contiguous panels and anchoring the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both gures of the drawings.

The fence embodying my invention comprises detachable panels, each of which is adapted to be constructed independently, whereby the erection of the fence consists simply in connecting the panels in series and properly anchoring them in the desired positions.

Inasmuch as all the straight or running panels necessary for a straight fence are identical in construction, it will be necessary to describe only one in detail.

The panel may be of any desired length, and it comprises terminal posts l and l, one or more intermediate posts 2, and runners 3, said runners consisting of boards, as illusserial No. 583,576. (No man.)

trated in the drawings, or partly of boards and the remainder of wire, as is common in this class of inventions.

Pivotally mounted vupon the posts and adapted to fold in the same planes therewith are braces 4, the pivots preferably consisting of bolts 5, which may be securedin place by means of keys 6, engaging transverse perforations 7 The means for anchoring the straight or running panels consist of anchor-stakes 8, driven in an inclined position contiguous to one of the posts and between two contiguous runners, said anchor-stakes being driven to any desired depth, and projecting laterally from the upper extremity of the anchor-stake is a stud 9, which is adapted to bear upon the upper or outer surface of the panel -post.

This stud may consist of a nail or spike, as t illustrated in the drawings, and it is preferably driven into the anchor-stake after the panel has been arranged in position. The contiguous extremities of adjoining panels are overlapped and are secured together by means of a single central bolt 10, which is held in place by means of a key or pin ll, fitting in a transverse perforation. Those panels which are used to form a continuous length of straight fence may be and preferably are provided at one end with posts la of reduced thickness, whereby the overlapping of contiguous extremities of adjoining panels does not throw the fence out of alinement sufliciently to be objectionable.

The approximately V-shaped space between the contiguous extremities of panels at the corner of a fence, as .shown in Fig. 1, is fitted with a corner-panel 12, consisting of convergent side standards 13, connected by transverse members 14, said standards being wired to the contiguous posts of the panels, and when a corner is formed between two panels which are inclined outwardly or from each other the corner-panel may be inverted instead of being arranged with the broad end upon the ground, as illustrated in the drawings.

lVhen it is desired to remove a panel to form a gateopening,it is simply necessary to detach the panel-connecting bolts, as indicated in Fig. l, the detached panel being displaced,

ICO

and the reattachment of the panel to the contiguous extremities of the adjoining portions ofthe fence may be accomplished without loss of time.

When it is desired to remove the fence, or remove a panel which is secured to an anchorstake, the lower extremity of the brace may be drawn out to allow the panel to incline at a greater angle than that at which it is erected, whereby the panel is disengaged from the lateral stud on the anchor-stake.

The pivotal connection of adjoining panels provides for the fence traversing uneven land without straining the panels. Y f

The above-described construction may be used with ad vantage in connection with grape- Vine racks, for the reason that a change of inclination may be accomplished with facility to bring fruit within reach of the picker, and in severe weather racks constructed as described may be lowered to lie iat upon the ground.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. A portable fence having detachable running` panels adapted to be arranged in transversely-inclined positions, and reversible vertically-taperedcorner-panels adapted to be arranged between the contiguous extremities of intersecting running panels, substantially as specied.

2. In a fence, the combination with detachably-connected panels provided with supporting-braces and adapted to be arranged in transversely-inclined positions, and cornerpanels adapted to be arranged at the contiguous extremities of intersecting straight panels, said corner-panels being reversible and having convergent side standards connected by transverse members, substantially as speciied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto axed my signature in the presence oi' two witnesses.

JOHN H. WHISLER. llfitnesses:

SAMUEL C. HARRINGTON, JOSEPH WITMER. 

